This is good, considering not everybody has the ability or desire to add overhead speakers (and dolby enabled speakers really suck in my experience), and object based audio definitely sounds much more precise than a simple 7.1 mix utilizing panning/phase manipulation. Atmos requires height channels, while DTS:X does not. In addition to height/overhead channels, front wides, rear wides, rear centers, and everything in between is supported outside of placing height channels above the surrounds. Dolby doesn’t come right out and say their system supports many different speaker layouts, but it clearly does, considering it can be scaled from 8 channels to 34 in the home. Atmos does not support the Voice of God channel (a single overhead speaker) nor does it support Side Heights or Front Top Center. One benefit of this is that it should be compatible with the Auro 3D 10.1 layout, which Atmos is not.
In theory, you should be set up your system however you want (within the limits of your AVR’s configurations) and it should work regardless, Unlike Atmos’ prescribed layouts. One of the things that’s supposed to set DTS:X apart from Atmos is their claim that it can support any channel layout. Atmos Cinema layout example found in the Dolby Atmos White Paper DTS:X supports a maximum of 30.2 channels in the cinema, and 11.2 in the home. My guess is the majority of HT enthusiasts will be pushing both budget and space constraints with a 7.1 channel or 9.1 channel system, let alone a 34 channel system, but, it’s always nice to have the option (assuming AVRs and processors support that many channels). In the cinema, Atmos offers support for up to 64 individual channels, and up to 34 in a home theater. In theory it shouldn’t matter if you are using 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.4 or 24.1.10, you should get the same relative imaging across the sound field. The idea behind this is that regardless of the theater or home theaters setup the processor can accurately present the location of a sound regardless of both the number of channels and the configuration of those channels. An Atmos or DTS:X processor then uses this metadata to position the sound across the available channels. The metadata for the objects and their position in three dimensional space tag along either DTS HD/MA or Dolby TrueHD/Dolby Digital Plus. Which as you suggest is placing 2 speakers high up near the ceiling above your front left & right speakersBoth DTS:X and Dolby Atmos are relatively new audio formats that utilize objects instead of classical channel layouts. (When using only 2 atmos speakers, they are always placed at the front. These are the 2 configurations you can do to implement a 5.1.2 (Dolby Atmos) setup. Since you don't have the option of in ceiling speakers. What speakers do you currently use in you 5.1 setup? What's your budget for the 2 atmos speakers? Or do you have some you plan to re-use? Here are some good examples of Atmos Enabled Speakers: Note: If your room has acoustic ceiling tiles, replace the tiles where the reflection from theĭolby Atmos enabled speakers will occur with foam-core board or other reflective material. When using Dolby Atmos enabled speakers, first audio reflection from the ceiling is desired Īudio reflections from elsewhere within the room should be avoided. To improve sound quality and system performance, we recommend using sound-absorbingĪnd sound-diffusing treatment to reduce unwanted reflections from the walls and floor. The idealĬeiling height is between 7.5 and 12 feet (2.3 to 3.66 meters). (drywall, plaster, hardwood, or another rigid, non-sound-absorbing material).
Where you place "upfiring" Dolby Atmos Speakers on top of your front left & right speakers.įor option 1 - you can pretty much use any wall mountable speaker.įor option 2 - Dolby recommend the following:įor optimal performance, the ceiling should be flat (not angled or vaulted), with a heightīetween 7.5 and 14 feet (2.3 to 4.3 meters), and made of an acoustically reflective material